Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s S P Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) has set up a Centre for Wisdom in Leadership (CWIL), which will partner with researchers, social organisations, public policy makers and industry from around the world to design innovative interventions in management education.
CWIL intends to conduct research projects relevant to the contemporary issues. The multi-disciplinary approach will be drawn from the most pertinent findings in neurosciences, philosophy, developmental and organisational psychology, spirituality, ethics, sustainability, economics and sociology, and leadership. CWIL will offer evidence-based wisdom interventions such as seminars, executive education modules, workshops, and online courses; publish a practitioner-oriented journal; and hold an annual international conference.
Explaining the objective of CWIL, Dr Surya Tahora, Head of CWIL and Professor, Science of Spirituality at Bhavan’s SPJIMR, said “The Centre will disseminate ideas and interventions for more responsible and sustainable society by bringing together the domains of leadership and traditions of wisdom, from East to West, and bridging the gap between wisdom researchers and organisations.”
CWIL agenda
To seek insights on various contemplative practices and traditions like Vedanta and Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, Sufism, Yoga, Buddhism and their Eastern counterparts such as Taoism, Confucianism, etc. for leadership development.
To find the indispensable wisdom-based leadership skills required for creating a flourishing and sustainable society and how to develop, nurture and measure them over time.
To learn from leadership in politics, business, administration, governance, etc. across civilizations and what practical cases can be developed around these exemplars.
Advisory board
The centre has an eminent advisory board including researchers such as Howard Nussbaum, Director, Chicago Center for Practical Wisdom and Professor of Psychology, University of Chicago; Monika Ardelt, Professor of Sociology, University of Florida; and David Rooney , Honorary Professor of Management and Organisation Studies, Macquarie Business School, Sydney, Australia.
From SPJIMR, Snehal Shah, Professor of Organisation Behaviour, Chairperson of the Fellow Program PhD and Head of Research; and Preeta George, Professor and Group Head – Economics and Associate Dean – Executive Education and Modular Programmes and Chairperson of Executive Management Programmes. It also has practitioners from Europe, the US, and India such as Laurent Ledoux, Founder, partner and Chairman of the Board of Phusis, Brussels, Belgium, Nitin Seth, CEO, Incendo Inc, and S Padmanabhan, Executive Chairman of Tata Business Excellence Group.